


A Time and a Place

by AlexaNDYE



Series: Pepperony Week 2017 (7/9 - 7/15) [1]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: F/M, mentions of the other characters, nat clint steve bruce happy etc
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-09
Updated: 2017-07-09
Packaged: 2018-11-30 01:13:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,560
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11452926
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlexaNDYE/pseuds/AlexaNDYE
Summary: All it took was the simplest touch to make their heart flutter, or break; to make their skin tingle and spark, or feel like its been scorched from the sun. It can be gentle, loving, or harsh. It was the most unexpected touches that brought out the most honest reactions.orTen times Tony touched Pepper without asking and one time she touched him without asking.





	A Time and a Place

**Author's Note:**

> Pepperony Week 2017  
> Day 1: Touch

1

Pepper kept her lips sealed as she listened to the light pattering of rain pouring down on her black umbrella. Happy had stayed inside the car and kept the engine running. He’s been through this six times. This, however, was Pepper’s first time, and Happy thought it wasn’t his place for him to tell her what to expect, or how to do things.

fifteen minutes in (yes, she was counting), and she was already fidgeting in her spot.

She stood on the curb, next to the car, with her eye on her egocentric and narcissistic boss, Tony Stark. She understood how he felt, and she knew the grieving process didn’t have a predetermined expiration date, but she felt compelled to show some compassion in front of his late mother and father, Maria Stark and Howard Stark.

Her heels clicked against the concrete before padding gently across the wet grass and towards the man that worked her until she passed out on the couch, the man that could map out a solar powered rocket in fifty-one point eight seconds flat, the man that had so much money to change the world but instead spent it on women. That man; infuriating as he always was.

She stood by his side for three minutes.

There were no words.

It was in utter silence when his right hand reached for her left. Their fingers wrapped around each other, taking shelter in the warmth and comfort, until their fingers intertwined and their palms pressed against each other. He squeezed, silently asking questions that wouldn’t pass through his lips, and she squeezed back, answering his questions without using words.

2

“I want everything,” she said demandingly.

Tony’s eyes widened. “Everything?”

“Yes. Is that a problem?”

“I… well… no—I mean—“

Pepper raised her eyebrow as her boss stumbled through his words. Her lips bent upwards in a smirk that expressed her amusement and easily nullified her professionalism. 

Tony sighed. “If it’s for the good of the art curation…”

Her hidden celebration was shown through the widening of her smile. 

“Let’s go talk to the artist and see if we can come to an agreement, or whatever it is you do in this situation…” 

He wrapped his arm behind her and firmly pressed his palm against the small of her back, sending sparks up her spine that she would greatly decline ever happened if asked. His shoulder pressed against hers as he guided her through the throngs of people that would rather talk about art than stare at the magnificent piece that is the Tony Stark.

It soon became an increasing habit and one that she did not mind.

3

Pepper had a terrible encounter with an ink pen earlier in the morning. It was apparent when Tony met up with her ten minutes before an important Board of Directors meeting. He wasn’t paying attention to anything she was saying, as was a usual habit of his, and could only stare at the black smudge on her cheek.

Without making her pause or stop, he reached up and cupped her cheek.

Her words were caught her throat as his thumb briefly rubbed circles on her skin.

“You had some ink on your…” he clarified as he pointed to his cheek.

The blush on Pepper’s cheeks was as red as the sun. “Oh.”

“I wasn’t listening, by the way,” he said as he passed her to walk into the conference room.

“Of course,” she replied with a loud sigh as he disappeared behind the double doors. “You won’t listen to me, but you’ll take the time to stare at the giant black dot on my face…”

4

Tony was half naked, shirtless, and groggy when he emerged from his bedroom to investigate the delectable aroma of bacon that embraced each and every corner of his Malibu mansion. He wiped the sand in his eyes as he approached the kitchen.

“What are you doing?” he slurred a bit.

Pepper flipped the bacon in the pan. “Cooking you breakfast.”

“Why?”

“Because it’s nearly noon and you’ve already missed three meetings. I need you to be up and ready for the next one that’s in thirty minutes.”

He groaned and sat down in front of the kitchen counter with his face in his hands. “My head hurts.”

“Could be from all that drinking and partying you did last night,” she replied curtly. “Do I need to escort any of your guests out?”

Pepper watched him shake his head and reply, “None…”.

Before she could react in time, the bacon on the pan popped and sizzled loudly, splattering hot oil on the back of her hand. She yelped in surprised and hissed at the pain that briefly shot up her arm.

She quickly turned the heat down to low and searched for a towel, but before she could reach for one, she felt a hand take hers and push it under the already running faucet. She was silent (mostly in shock that Tony was quick enough to do such a thing under the effect of a terrible hangover) as he held her hand under the icy cold water until the heat dissipated.

He dried her hand with a towel and held it in front of his bare chest, surveying it for any redness or apparent burn marks. His gaze found hers and in a husky, low, and raspy voice, he asked, “You okay?”

She nodded. “Yes. Thank you.”

5

Tony took her hand without explaining anything to her. He pressed each individual finger against the glass door until it was promptly registered under the supervision of his incredibly smart AI, JARVIS.

His hand was warm and very smooth, unlike anything she’s ever imagined a mechanic like Tony Stark to have. He wasn’t rough with her, nor did he use too much force or pressure. It was as if he was delicately holding her hand, almost afraid that it was going to break.

“There,” he said as he pressed her palm against the door. “Your fingerprints are registered. You will now be allowed access to my secret and private workshop.”

Pepper stared at him flatly. “I feel like I’ve just agreed to another five-year sentence at a prison.”

6

“I quit—I’m resigning—that’s it,” she said sternly and out of breath.

Tony stared at her for a moment. “What did you just say?” He stepped towards her in his wreck of a suit that was starting to spark. “You’re done?”

She didn’t reply.

He pressed his lips together and nodded. “Surprising—well, no, not surprising. I get it. You don’t have to make any excuses.”

“I-I’m not making any excuses,” Pepper hastily replied as she became flustered.

He fought with her, trying to get his point across until he realized his past mistakes, the ones he was trying to make up for. Before he was Iron Man, he was Tony Stark; a very egocentric and narcissistic, Tony Stark. One of the few people that kept him sane was Pepper, and he knew there wasn’t anything in the world that could make up for all the shit that he’s put her through.

“Hey, hey, hey,” he took her hand in his. “You deserve better.”

Pepper gazed at their intertwined hands. “Well… I…”

“You have taken such good care of me. Been in a tough spot and you got me through it… so... right?” He searched her eyes for any signs of discomfort, but he saw none.

“Thank you.”

“Yeah.”

But she didn’t press the closeness any further. Their endearing moment seemed one sided.

“Thank you for understanding.”

Tony shook it off as fast as he could before he experienced the repercussions of the feelings he had kept locked up for the past decade. “Yeah, yeah, yeah – lets, uh… lets talk clean up.”

Pepper jumped on the topic. “I’ll handle the transition, it’ll be smooth.”

“Okay, well, what about the press, because you’ve only had the job for a week. It’s going to look like something.”

“Well, for you, it’s like dog years, I mean, it’s like the presidency—“

Screw it, Tony thought as he pressed his lips against hers. He expected her to push him away or slap him for such an unexpected gesture, but she didn’t. She kissed him back with equal vigor. Her hand gently caressed his bruised neck as they let their tongues do all the talking. He held on to her as best as he could in his slightly broken suit of armor and continued to show how long he’s been wanting and waiting.

Oxygen became an apparent issue, and they were forced to break apart, but they kept their gaze on each other.

Tony squinted a bit. “Weird?”

“No,” Pepper breathed. “It’s not weird.”

“It’s okay, right?” He asked, and she nodded. “Okay – run that by me again.” He leaned in for another kiss that soon to be interrupted by James Rhodes. 

7

“Wow, look at that view,” Pepper gasped as she looked out the window from their penthouse suite in Stark Tower.

Tony came up behind her and wrapped his arm around her waist. “And with no one to obstruct it.”

She rolled her eyes. “They’re construction workers and carpenters. They’re just doing their job.”

Tony looked around the unfurnished space and then saw the bare bar. He left her side and approached the bar to give it a quick look. The height of the counter was just as he envisioned and the available space was just as he desired.

“Hey, Pepper, come here for a second,” he said loudly.

Pepper furrowed her eyebrows and quickly walked over to him. “What is it? Did they forget something? I went over the exact model with their manager when I—” As she approached the bar, he unexpectedly grabbed her by the waist and set her on top of the counter, causing her to yelp sharply. “What—Tony!”

He held her by the waist and surveyed the view. “I need your help.”

Pepper raised her eyebrow in suspicion. “With?”

“Well, the place isn’t going to be furnished until next week, and we finally have a moment alone...” he sexily smiled at her as he tried to pull her into the mood. “…I was hoping we could at least christen some part of the penthouse.” He moved in to kiss her neck and she gasped as he lightly nipped at her skin.

“Tony… really? The bar—your bar? We’re going to be eating on it and-and—it’s supposed to be for drinks.”

He pulled away briefly and pressed his lips to her ear. “Oh, I’ll definitely be eating something on it.”

8

“You’re all not worthy,” Thor said simply.

Pepper laughed while the others engaged in a chorus of disagreement. Natasha whispered something into her ear and then the two were in a fit of giggles. Tony reached for his glass to take another sip of his drink until a loud ringing screech blasted through his ears.

Everyone heard it, and they all covered their ears and grunted in discomfort.

A distraught robot with wires hanging out from every which way approached them from the lower deck.

“Worthy?” it said in a low hum. It was one of the robots from the Iron Legion; one of the many that was due for repairs after the incident in Sokovia.

Everyone stared in disbelief as the robot’s joins screeched as it moved, joint by joint.

“No… How could you be worthy? You’re all killers,” the robot declared.

Pepper furrowed her eyebrows as her attention was turned to the robot that was looking up at them. Natasha got up from her seat and surveyed her surroundings. Thor gripped his hammer in his hand and Maria took the safety off her gun. Everyone stood to attention while the robot continued to ramble.

Pepper saw an arm come out to shield her and then felt it carefully maneuver her into a defensive position. Tony kept his hand on her hip as he moved in front of her and stood tall with the others.

Steve didn’t take his eyes off the robot. “Stark.”

“JARVIS?” Tony muttered sternly, but got to answer.

The robot’s joints screeched again. “I’m sorry… I was… asleep… or was I a… dream?”

The conversation between Ultron and the Avengers was brief, as was the battle between them. The only thing Pepper remembered clearly was a robot aiming right for her with the same speed as Tony’s suits of armor. She closed her eyes and prepared for the worst, but Tony’s arm pushed her behind himself as he spun in place. He hugged her to his body and dove for the ground, making sure she was somewhat protected.

Pepper felt a strong gust of wind miss her by an inch. When she looked up, she saw the robot fly the other way and with Thor sprinting after it.

“Are you okay?” Tony asked hastily.

Pepper’s throat was too dry to cohesively express her panic, so she nodded instead. He motioned to Natasha and told her to take cover behind the bar.

The fight was soon over, but it was far from a victory, and Ultron was nowhere to be seen. And thus, the Avengers were thus faced with another difficult enemy on their hands.

9

“How are you and Pepper?” Natasha asked once she and Tony were alone in the conference room.

Tony took a few moments before he found the energy to answer her. “We’re… On a break.”

Natasha crossed her arms and raised her eyebrow. “A break?” The tone of her voice told him she was mildly concerned. 

He nodded. “Yes.”

“What’d you do?” She asked sternly and he immediately squared his shoulders.

“What makes you think it was me?”

“When is it ever her?”

She had a point.

He could remember the night he fought with her; it was clear as day. He blamed himself for Sokovia and the innocent lives his creation took. He blamed himself for Ultron, Pietro, and countless other innocents that shouldn’t have been in the cross-fire. He blamed himself for Bruce’s departure and JARVIS’ ultimate sacrifice. The weight on his shoulders was too much to bear, and his unfortunate collapse was in front of Pepper.

She witnessed his struggle and the peak of his anger. He remembered throwing his glass of whatever he was drinking that night in attempt to appease feelings. He then remembered Pepper’s attempts at calming him down, but his anguish was too great and he forced her to leave.

When he realized how far he’d cross the line, he reached out and grabbed her arm, but she instantly pushed him away and told him to call her when he calmed down.

He stared at the broken glass on the floor beside him as the clicking of her heels faded to nothing. He was alone and in utter silence.

He hadn’t called her, because he didn’t know what to say to her or where to begin.

Nat wasn’t sure how to take his silence. “Do you want me to talk to her?” she asked.

Tony shook his head. “No, you shouldn’t. I should be the one to.”

“Why haven’t you already?”

He wanted to tell Nat the truth, how he was too ashamed of himself to simply call Pepper up and apologize, but instead, he gave her a bullshit excuse and promptly left the room.

10

After the fiasco that split the Avengers in two, Tony retreated back to his home in Manhattan, the vacated Stark Tower. The lobby was empty, and as he walked through the front entrance, he was greeted with silence. He sighed to himself and let the loneliness settle in. He rode the secret elevator to the penthouse on the top floor and immediately poured himself a drink. He shrugged his black leather coat off and carried his drink with him to bask in the late night panoramic view of New York City.

He didn’t concentrate on the view, but instead concentrated on everything that’s happened since then: The Avengers, Rhodey, Bruce, and finally, Pepper. He balled his fists and quickly released the tension. Time was all he needed; time and a few hours of sleep.

He downed the rest of his drink, turned around, and headed straight for the bedroom, but a figure blocked his way.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” Pepper asked.

Tony stared at her with wide eyes. He stumbled with a few words in his head before settling for the most reasonable answer. “Uh, yeah… It… it never changes.”

Pepper didn’t take her eyes off him. “No, it doesn’t.”

“What are you doing here?” he asked softly.

“I asked Rhodey where you were, and he didn’t have a clue, so I came here.”

Tony smirked. “You guessed right.”

“Well, actually, I asked Friday, and she said you were heading here.”

“Ah,” Tony replied with a nod. “Well, you caught me at a good time. I’m without a team, because, you know, they all hate me.”

“They don’t hate you.”

“Says the woman that I pushed away,” he muttered without thinking. The statement made them both go silent, and all they did was stare at each other. He broke the silence with a light chuckle. “I tried so hard to keep everything together; the Avengers, Bruce, Wanda, Steve, my parents…” he paused and stared at her. “...you.” He spread his arms out and gestured to the slightly unfurnished space around him. “Look where that got me.”

“Tony—“

He interjected, “Everything I do—everything I try to fix—ends up more fucked up than before.” She stood silent. “It’s like I’m destined to screw things up.”

“You’re not screwing things up, Tony.”

“Then tell me what I am doing, Pepper,” he almost yelled.

She stepped towards him until they were face to face with only inches of space in between. “I’ve seen the Tony Stark that would drink himself to a stupor and party the night away with a woman on each arm.” The mention of the past made him look away in shame. “I’ve had run meetings by myself, because my boss was either too drunk to stand, or too hungover to keep track of the day or the hour. I’ve done everything you’ve ever asked me to up until the point when I contemplated quitting for a job that didn’t require me to take care of a selfish, narcissistic, and egotistical child.”

“Then why didn’t you quit?” he muttered under his breath.

“I didn’t fall in love with Iron Man, Tony. I fell in love with you.” Pepper muttered. Tony slowly looked up and found her gaze. His heart split at the seams as the woman that’s been by his side for more than a decade said something he never expected. “I fell in the love with the man that recognized his mistakes and tried every day to make up for them. I love you for who you are, not for what you do. You’re not a screw up. You’re doing your best, and that’s all that you can do. You try to carry the world on your shoulders, but you forget that you’re not alone. You’re never alone, Tony.”

He crashed their lips together as a wave of endearment and apologizes washed over him. After he felt her lips respond with equal force, he wrapped his arms around her waist and pressed her body against his, hoping the moment would last a lifetime.

11

“I don’t want to hurt it,” Tony muttered as he raised his arms and moved away from Pepper, whom was very, very pregnant. She was seven months along and her belly was very huge.

Pepper gave him a flat look. “You’re not going to hurt it, Tony. I just want you to feel the baby kick.”

Tony faked a cough. “I don’t want to get you or the baby sick.”

“You’re not sick.”

He faked another cough. “Yes I am.”

Pepper rolled her eyes. “Fine.” She approached him and grabbed his wrist.

“Hey!” he protested.

She yanked him towards her and pressed his palm against her belly.

“Pepper, I—“ he paused and then his eyes widened. “That is the weirdest feeling.” His heart started to swell in awe. “It kicked.”

Pepper nodded. “Yes, our baby kicked.”

He walked closer to her and pressed his other hand on her belly. “Does this mean it’ll be a soccer player? I can be a soccer dad, although, we’re going to have some fierce competition with Clint and Nat’s son.”

Pepper chuckled. “I’ll support anything and everything our baby wants to be.”

Tony’s ears perked up, and without saying anything, she already knew what he was going to say.

“Anything Iron Man related and it will have to wait until he, or she, is of age.”

“So, that’s a yes?”

“I didn’t say yes or no, Tony.”

The thought of the future with his wife, Pepper, and their baby made him smile wholeheartedly. He couldn’t believe how lucky he was. Thanos was no more, and a new, fresh, set of Avengers were out in the world doing very good things, giving him the opportunity to live the life of his dreams. He leaned forward and kissed her on the forehead. “I love you,” he muttered.

She leaned into his arms and hugged him as much as the baby would allow. “I’m still not saying yes.”


End file.
